Grant provides new apparatus to Porter Fire Department

Published 6:42 am, Thursday, September 22, 2016

To aid their continued efforts, the Porter Fire Department received a specialty apparatus vehicle, a Type III Engine, right, through a Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System grant program Sept. 13.

To aid their continued efforts, the Porter Fire Department received a specialty apparatus vehicle, a Type III Engine, right, through a Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System grant program Sept. 13.

Image 2 of 3

The Porter Fire Department’s Type III Engine is a four-wheel drive vehicle designed to go off-road that holds 750 gallons of water, seats five and comes with equipment needed to fight fires or assist in disaster aid across the state. less

The Porter Fire Department’s Type III Engine is a four-wheel drive vehicle designed to go off-road that holds 750 gallons of water, seats five and comes with equipment needed to fight fires or assist in ... more

Image 3 of 3

To aid their continued efforts, the Porter Fire Department received a specialty apparatus, a Type III Engine through a Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System grant program Sept. 13.

To aid their continued efforts, the Porter Fire Department received a specialty apparatus, a Type III Engine through a Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System grant program Sept. 13.

Grant provides new apparatus to Porter Fire Department

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

From the wildfire breakouts in Texas cities such as Bastrop and the tri-county fire in Magnolia in 2011 to the hurricane relief efforts on the Bolivar Peninsula after Hurricane Ike; Porter Fire Department crews have worked to provide assistance during any kind of disaster.

To aid their efforts, the Porter Fire Department received a specialty apparatus vehicle, a Type III Engine, through a Texas Intrastate Mutual Aid System grant program Sept. 13. The department can use this apparatus when they are called to statewide deployments and use in their own county should the need arise.

The apparatus is a four-wheel drive vehicle designed to go off-road that holds 750 gallons of water, seats five and comes with equipment needed to fight fires or assist in disaster aid across the state.

There are currently no other Type III apparatus in Montgomery County. The machine is valued at an estimated $300,000.

“TIFMAS is a program sponsored by the Texas A&M Forest Service so instead of them having a group of firemen year round, they contract out with other municipalities or fire departments like us in times of need,” Porter Fire Chief Carter Johnson said. “We have been to west Texas, Bolivar Peninsula, the Ozona and Hidden Pines fires in 2015 and most recently, the Deweyville floods in March. They rent the apparatus from us at a set FEMA rate and our guys are paid overtime to go. It’s a win-win because the agency that needs us gets timely support where the state of Texas pays for it and our crew receives overtime pay.”

The TIFMAS grant was first created in the 2009 legislative session under Senate Bill 1011 and continues to be maintained by the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The grant is a collaborative effort between several organizations including the Texas Fire Chief’s Association, the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshall’s Association, the Texas State Association of Firefighters, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and the Texas A&M Forest Service.

A typical deployment for the Porter Fire Department crew when they are called in for assistance lasts anywhere from seven to 14 days. If the department has to backfill the positions of the crew providing assistance, they will also receive funding for those employees.

“When our crews have the chance to fight these larger wildfires we most likely will not see in this area, they gain invaluable experience and knowledge on how to fight these fires,” Johnson said. “This hands-on experience is so important especially if something was to happen like that here. The good news is we can use this apparatus in our own district as long as it is not a primary vehicle for our department.

“This is a great win for the citizens of East Montgomery County and the state of Texas. We, at Porter Fire Department, could not be more excited to partner with the state on this collaborative effort to ensure the safety and protection of those who we are sworn to protect.”